Lawmakers apologize for slavery

TALLAHASSEE - Following an emotional recounting of its enslavement of African-Americans on Wednesday, Florida became the sixth state in the nation to apologize for its role in slavery.

A Capitol historian read aloud in the House and Senate chambers a 15-minute summary of the brutality of Florida's slavery-era laws and the ways the state's elected leaders at the time perpetuated the mistreatment of African-Americans.

Legislators then approved, by voice vote, a resolution expressing "profound regret'' for "the shameful chapter in this state's history.'' Gov. Charlie Crist commended lawmakers "for doing the right thing'' and did not rule out considering reparations for Floridians whose ancestors were slaves.

Florida's black lawmakers called the apology the first step toward confronting the state's racial disparities in health, education and the criminal justice system.

"An expression is just empty words without action,'' said Rep. Joe Gibbons, a Broward County Democrat and chairman of the legislative Black Caucus. "Yes, this is a historical step for the Florida Legislature, but the real test is what happens next.''

Some black legislators wept as the curator of the Historic Capitol, John Phelps, read excerpts of a letter Florida's governor wrote in 1861, where he described African-Americans as "barbarians'' that could only be "tamed and civilized by the discipline of slavery.''

Lawmakers sat silent as Phelps described a slavery-era Florida law that said "any Negro, bond or free,'' convicted of giving false testimony would have "his or her ears nailed to posts and there stand for one hour, and moreover, receive 39 lashes on his or her bare back.''

"Just listening to those words, let alone imagining an actual event of that horrific nature, it's hard to fathom,'' said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, who was moved to tears.

Florida enacted its first slave laws in 1822 as a territory, and the state's early political leaders were some of the most vigorous defenders of slavery. In the 1850s, 44 percent of Florida's 111,000 residents were slaves.

Supporters of an apology for slavery hope it leads to support for larger policy issues. While black residents make up 16 percent of Florida's population, more than half of the state's prison inmates are black. And the graduation rate for black students was 59 percent last year, more than 20 percent below the rate for white students, according to the Florida Department of Education.

"While this resolution is a good first step,'' said Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, "it is indeed just a first step."

Florida was one of the last states to amend its Constitution to abolish slavery after the end of the Civil War in 1865.

And for more than 150 years, until the 1930s, Florida led the South for the number of lynchings per capita, said Canter Brown Jr., a former historian at the Tampa Bay History Center who has written about race relations in Florida.

"It's long overdue,'' Brown said of the Legislature's apology.

But Brown questioned whether the symbolic act would lead to concrete actions. "Is this a part of something bigger - or is it just a token effort? That's what time will tell,'' Brown said.

Perhaps in a sign of how sensitive the issue remains, the resolution's introductions in the House and Senate were coordinated affairs that left no room for debate.

Rather, Phelps read the historic points aloud, the resolution was introduced and lawmakers approved it by a majority voice vote "without objection.''

Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, said he had been working on a slavery apology with Senate President Ken Pruitt for over a year after the two of them saw "Amazing Grace,'' a movie based on a member of the British Parliament's effort to end the slave trade.

After the resolution passed both chambers Wednesday afternoon, Pruitt walked across the floor of the House chambers and hugged Hill, who was standing in the back.

Opponents of slavery resolutions typically argue that they mean nothing because no one alive today has been a slave or a slave owner. Others say it is an insultingly inadequate response to the suffering caused by slavery, which is why an apology stalled in Georgia's Legislature.

Reparations has also been a sticking point for some opponents who feel "I wasn't there. I didn't have slaves,'' said Katheryn Russell-Brown, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations at the University of Florida.

Asked if he would consider reparations, Crist said: "I'm always willing to consider anything that is reasonable, fair and just.''